How to Begin Science Lessons with a Phenomenon and a Question
One of the biggest questions every educator struggles with is "How can I make science lessons engaging and understandable for my child or my students?”
Start with their questions
If you’ve explored my blog, you know that “questions” are a recurring theme for me.
Questioning is essential for both engagement and learning.
Do you recall taking a class, getting an “A” on the final, and then wondering what, if anything, you would remember in a week, a month, or a year? I certainly do. I became skilled at passing tests but struggled to truly connect with the content I was meant to learn.
This is the beauty of students’ questions! . . . Instead of beginning the learning journey with Chapter 1, start with questions that students generate.
Guess what? When students provide the questions, they instantly create a connection to the content. BINGO!
In this blog post, we will explore these topics:
How do we encourage students to ask questions that will connect to the content they are about to learn?
What are phenomena anyway?
What two simple questions you should always ask
How to choose phenomena
How to brainstorm ideas for phenomena
What makes a phenomenon engaging?
Let’s get started!
How do we encourage students to ask questions that will connect to the content they are about to learn?
Before I answer, I am going to ask two more questions…hang in there.
We all know students who ask lots and lots of questions. How do we guide them to ask questions about the content we need to teach?
We also know students who don’t ask lots of questions. How do we inspire them to ask questions?
The answer to all these questions is the same. The answer is phenomena.
What are phenomena anyway?
Yes, phenomenon is a buzzword among science educators. So, what exactly are phenomena?
Phenomena are simply puzzling experiences or events that elicit questions from students. They serve as a catalyst for curiosity and exploration of the world around them.
Phenomena don’t have to be dramatic like lava-spewing volcanic eruptions or solar eclipses, although they certainly can be. Talk about engagement!
Phenomena can be more mundane too. For example, how about pigeons?
Pigeons in the Park: A Learning Experience
Imagine you're about to teach 3rd graders about the inheritance of traits. Ultimately, they will come to understand that some traits are inherited from parents, while others are influenced by the environment. But how do you entice them to investigate and discover that content for themselves?
. . . Yes, that’s right, the answer is a phenomenon, like pigeons.
Two simple questions to always ask
Take kids to see pigeons at a park, and ask the first simple question, “What do you notice?”
Then sit back and listen. Listen to the observations and underlying questions the outing generates. You may hear something like this. . .
“Look at that one! It looks like it’s wearing white glasses.”
“That one over there is huge! It is much taller than the others.”
“Look how funny they walk. Why do they bob their heads like that?”
“Oh, that one is missing some feathers. I wonder why.”
“I always thought pigeons were all alike. These are different colors.”
“I like the sound they make. Do you think they are talking to each other?”
“I am calling that one Mr. Eats-a-Lot! Why does he peck the ground so much?”
As they observe the pigeons, the students are beginning to notice patterns like the similarities among the birds, such as their feathers, their coo, and the way they walk.
They also notice differences. Some of these differences are likely inherited (which they will learn about later), like the white mask coloring and tall stature, while other differences may be influenced by the environment (which they will also learn about later), such as losing feathers.
Now, you are ready for the all-powerful second simple question: “What questions do you have?”
Again, sit back, listen, and enjoy. You may hear something like. . .
“Why are most of the pigeons alike, and some are different?”
“What makes some of them different?”
“Is it better for a pigeon to be like the others or different than the others?”
“What causes them to lose feathers?”
“Why do they bob like that when they walk?” (sounds like a physics lesson to me)
“Are they talking when they coo?” (animal behavior lesson, anyone?)
You’ve done it! You’ve got engagement.
Student engagement can be as simple as turning everyday experiences into learning opportunities. By introducing them to the pigeons, you’ve set the stage for them to begin exploring underlying scientific concepts of heredity.
Phenomena are events that students can study and uncover the scientific principles and mechanisms that explain them.
How to choose phenomena?
Choose an event or happening that illustrates the science content you need to teach.
Expose students to that phenomenon. Give them opportunities to interact with it directly (e.g., hands-on observations) and/or indirectly (e.g., using microscopes, videos, data, etc.).
Encourage students to share what they notice and what they wonder.
Record all their great and insightful questions to use for further exploration and learning.
Here’s another example.
When introducing students to the content of phases of the moon, take them outside or ask them to observe the sky on multiple clear nights. Prompt them to describe or draw what they observe. Ask them what questions they have. Then let the learning begin!
How to brainstorm ideas for phenomena?
Sometimes, it can be hard to come up with phenomena. Consider events that illustrate the science content in action. I find it helps to think about examples or phenomena in three ways.
Phenomena that are personal to students, for example:
"Why do I do get brain freeze when I eat ice cream?” (systems of the body)
“Why is this black t-shirt so hot?” (electromagnetic radiation)
Phenomena that are local and happen in students’ communities, such as:
"Why is the river changing shape and encroaching on our park?" (water and erosion)
“How do the hallway doors automatically shut during a fire drill at school? (electromagnets)
Phenomena that are relevant to most people, like:
"Why is the sun not visible at night?" (Earth’s rotation)
"Why do people tend to get colds in fall and winter?" (viruses and motion of air molecules)
What makes a phenomenon engaging?
As mentioned above, phenomena need to be personal and relevant to students to be engaging. Here are a couple more characteristics of an engaging phenomenon:
It’s specific. It’s about a specific real-world happening. It’s not about something general like the hydrosphere.
It’s central to the lesson. Be sure to introduce a phenomenon and mention it again and again. It’s important that students get to figure out underlying scientific aspects of the phenomenon. This will improve their confidence as science students and bring meaning to their learning.
It’s compelling. This one can be difficult. There must be an element of uncertainty about the event. Students cannot fully make sense of it without learning something more. They should feel compelled to know more. The phenomenon must be puzzling, mysterious, intriguing…it must make them wonder.
Be patient. Finding the right phenomena can take time. Sometimes, ideas will come slowly, while other times, multiple ideas will spark all at once.
I rely on the Task Annotation Project in Science: Phenomena | Achieve resource to help me identify high-quality phenomena.
Now what?
Give it a try!
Think about the next content you need to teach and identify a phenomenon that hinges on that content. Then expose your students to the phenomenon and listen. Listen to their observations, the connections they make, the patterns they notice, the questions they ask, and then feel good because you have engaged them in the learning process!